Saturday, March 07, 2015

Menyusur Melawi

Kelantan, to Khalish, is synonymous with i) Ketereh, ii) Bukit Mas, and iii) The Beach. Not necessarily in that order. According to the boy, number iii usually comes before anything else.

On Friday, last two weeks, Kamal and I granted our son's wish to be at the beach. Mok recommended Pantai Melawi, one of her favourite beaches. One of our favourite beaches, too.

Because it was our fourth time there, we decided to venture further than The Ketereh Clan regularly did. At one point, the bridge was too small for our car to cross though. What a fate. We loved the new accidental spot.

The beach was not only beautiful, but also unique. The latter was because of a pillbox, built by the British Indian Army to defend the state from the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War. To think that the serene beach was once a scene of destruction.

2:00 p.m. Amiable weather. Khalish, dubbed Anak Pantai Melawi by Ayoh and Mok, wasted no time to explore the beach. The boy's excitement coalesced with the whisper of the wind, the melody from a lady's guitar, the conversation between a big family, the bell from an ice cream vendor, and the rhythm of the waves. Harmonious.

Khalish being Khalish, he soon reached his own wonderland. Curious, my camera and I followed him. Kamal stayed behind to observe the time.

Within half an hour at the wonderland, the boy transformed into a merman, a plant, and a Buckethead Zombie. I wished my D700 was a D800. Yes, for the video.

Khalish and I only returned to the reality when both were hungry. It had been two hours since our last meal, which was a red bean bun each. Time for ice cream.

The smooth sand, the contrast between the warmth of the beach and the coldness of the ice cream, the refreshing breeze, as well as the view of the vast sea were truly divine. Khalish asked, "may we stay here forever?" I answered, "your mind is the best recorder actually, so, yes, you may 'stay' here forever by replaying the scene again and again." (That, from the person who wished for a D800, heh.)

The beach was full of raw beauty indeed. Kamal and I loved the sight of an old wooden house on stilts, with its traditional roof, made of Singgora tiles, still intact. Nearby was a well, abandoned too. While appreciating the quaintness of Pantai Melawi, a lady greeted us. She seemed fragile, but the way she promoted the various crackers in her hands was spirited. Seeing Khalish's love for one of the crackers, she started an animated conversation about herself and Kuala Melawi.

Amidst my new awareness, Khalish roamed the beach again. To and fro the wonderland and the reality. One second, he was himself, and the next second, he was a Snorkel Zombie. Kamal and I let him be. In our hearts, we prayed for another visit. Preferably with more of our loved ones, hopefully with more discoveries.